Explicating the Role of Sexual Coercion and Vulnerability Alcohol Expectancies in Rape Attributions

Abstract

Despite evidence suggesting that alcohol expectancies may influence people's rape perceptions, no study to date has measured context-specific expectancies comprehensively. This study represents an initial investigation of the role of sexual coercion and vulnerability alcohol expectancies in young Australian adults' rape blame attributions. Using a vignette method, it was hypothesized that participants' stronger expectancy endorsement would predict lesser perpetrator blame and greater victim blame. Participants (n = 210; 34.9% males; 18-25 years) read a hypothetical rape scenario and rated dimensions of blameworthiness attributed to the intoxicated sexual perpetrator and victim. Participants completed the Sexual Coercion and Sexual Vulnerability subscales of the Drinking Expectancy Sexual Vulnerabilities Questionnaire for the targets self, men, and women in addition to measures of traditional gender role attitudes and rape myth acceptance. Hierarchical multiple regressions revealed that, as expected, stronger sexual coercion expectancy predicted lower perpetrator blame and greater victim blame. Self-oriented expectancy predicted evaluations of the perpetrator whereas other-oriented expectancy predicted victim evaluations. These effects were robust after controlling for gender role attitudes and rape myth acceptance. Alcohol expectancies appear to be part of a network of beliefs and attitudes which perpetuate biased rape attributions and may be useful to challenge in altering rape perceptions.

Blaming the Victim of Acquaintance Rape: Individual, Situational, and Sociocultural Factors

“…Research clearly supports a positive relationship between endorsement of rape myths and victim blaming in acquaintance rape cases (Lonsway and Fitzgerald, 1994; Stormo et al, 1997; Schuller and Wall, 1998; Varelas and Foley, 1998; Frese et al, 2004; Hayes-Smith and Levett, 2010; Masser et al, 2010; Basow and Minieri, 2011; Hammond et al, 2011; Romero-Sánchez et al, 2012; McKimmie et al, 2014; Starfelt et al, 2015; Qi et al, 2016; Persson et al, 2018). Additionally, the relationship between rape myth endorsement and greater victim blame tends to be strongest among men (Lonsway and Fitzgerald, 1994; Hayes-Smith and Levett, 2010; Hammond et al, 2011).…”

The Influence of Gender Ideology, Victim Resistance, and Spiking a Drink on Acquaintance Rape Attributions

“…Another possibility is that alcohol expectancies, or stereotypic beliefs about the effects of alcohol, may be an important variable for attributions about alcohol-facilitated rape. In fact, recent research demonstrated that the expectancy that alcohol makes one sexually coercive was associated with higher victim and lower perpetrator blame, and these beliefs were predictive of blame over and above gender ideology variables (Starfelt et al, 2015).…”

“…Similar to the findings with other gender ideology variables, men endorse greater rape myths than women; however, the relationship between gender and victim blame is mediated by rape myth acceptance (van der Bruggen & Grubb, 2014). In general, individuals who endorse high levels of rape myths are more likely to attribute blame and responsibility to a victim, endorse higher credibility to a perpetrator, and perceive lower responsibility for a perpetrator relative to those with lower levels of rape myths (Basow & Minieri, 2011; Kopper, 1996; Mason, Riger, & Foley, 2004; Newcombe, Van den Eynde, Hafner, & Jolly, 2008; Starfelt, Young, White, & Palk, 2015). In addition, compared with individuals with low rape myth acceptance, those with high rape myth acceptance demonstrate a tendency to minimize the assault experience and are less likely to believe that a rape has occurred, including a lower likelihood of convicting a perpetrator (Burt & Albin, 1981; Mason et al, 2004; Newcombe et al, 2008; Schuller & Wall, 1998).…”

A Balancing Act: Agency and Constraints in University Students’ Understanding of and Responses to Sexual Violence in the Night-Time Economy

“…These double standards are evident in discourses on alcohol and intoxication in relation to rape and sexual assault in the NTE whereby women are ascribed blame and are responsibilized for their sexual assault if they are drunk, while men are exonerated for perpetrating sexual violence if intoxicated. This sexual double standard is evidenced in media representations (Gunby et al, 2013; Meyer, 2010), public perceptions (Starfelt et al, 2015), in mock jury debates (Finch & Munro, 2005), and in public safety campaigns which oblige women to regulate themselves to stay safe from men, rather than focusing on men’s aggressions (Brooks, 2011; Campbell, 2005). Indeed, there is a large body of scholarship in the United Kingdom and beyond on intoxication and women’s safety in the NTE which documents the gendered risk of navigating the NTE (Brooks, 2011; Griffin et al, 2009, 2013; Tan, 2013).…”